


Coffee Date

by tyrannosaurus_rose



Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Baristas, Bromance, M/M, Sephiroth/Genesis Bromance, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 12:58:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6006889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyrannosaurus_rose/pseuds/tyrannosaurus_rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Genesis tells Sephiroth to man up and ask his crush out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee Date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silverleaf14](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=silverleaf14).



> Happy birthday Silverleaf14! (And to everyone else, happy Valentines!)
> 
> Beta'd by the wonderful FFLove190. Thanks again, girl!

The coffee shop was oddly shaped, as coffee shops often were, springing up in whatever unused corner of a building could be spared; this one was long and rather narrow, stretching around the obtuse edge of a large office building.The door was almost dead center, leaving the line to form along the counter in one direction and a sort of open seating area to take up the other half of the space. Sephiroth liked it because it was efficient for people who didn’t want to have to weave their way through the lobby to get to the counter — he could get in and out with his coffee in record time.But Genesis always complained that it was too difficult to people-watch while waiting in line.

 

“ _Your_ problem is you just really need to get laid,” Genesis said as they walked into the cafe, loudly enough that the last few people in line ahead of them turned to stare.Sephiroth tried not to blush. 

 

They made a striking pair: Sephiroth, neatly groomed in a fitted and flattering suit and tie, nevertheless had an air of the exotic about him due to his long hair — silver, despite his clearly youthful face. Genesis, meanwhile, looked like an escaped runway model trying to blend in: he wore dark wash jeans, an unbuttoned collared shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows, over a faded, loose t-shirt that nevertheless managed to cling in all the right places, and expensive loafers.His bronze hair was so casually disheveled it would have looked accidental, except for the air of purpose Genesis wore with it.His whole ensemble gave a balanced impression of wealth and carelessness that could only suggest a playboy. 

 

Both men had excellent posture, but took a stance of ease that comes with competency and success.They clearly had nothing to prove.

 

“You make it sound so easy,” Sephiroth griped.Well, for Genesis maybe it was: the redhead attracted partners like moths to a flame.He never had any shortage of lovers, and often juggled several effortlessly.Sephiroth sometimes wondered how his friend managed it — and then promptly got exhausted and turned his mind to other pursuits.

 

“It is.Would you like a demonstration?”

 

“Uh, _no?_ ”

 

Genesis laughed.“Not of _that_.I’m sure you know how by now, anyway… as limited as your experience has been, even _you’ve_ made it that far.” Genesis cast his friend an appraising glance, as though he wasn’t really sure, but would give Sephiroth the benefit of the doubt.“Do you want me to show you how to pick someone up, I’m asking.” 

 

Sephiroth huffed.“I don’t think watching you rub your superior charms in my face will help, thanks.”

 

“No, I’m serious.Pick someone, and I’ll show you.Anyone in here.”Genesis waved an arm in a gesture encompassing all the patrons in the shop, causing several nearest to him to duck and glare. 

 

They were nearing the front of the line, but Sephiroth still had a decent view of nearly all the patrons. Still, just because he technically _could_ participate in one of Genesis’ ridiculous games didn’t mean he _would_.Almost reflexively Sephiroth glanced around, immediately singling out a challenge just to try to prove Genesis wrong — there, that girl with her gaggle of friends: girls were always more difficult to deal with in packs, and she wasn’t likely to abandon them even if Genesis was charming — although he probably could still get her number, so maybe not her, who else…?

 

Sephiroth shook himself free of that line of thought.He wasn’t playing this game.

 

“Hey, S. The usual?” the grinning barista wore his shaggy black hair tied back in compliance with Health Department regulations, but even the company-enforced dress code couldn’t completely disguise his scruffiness — Sephiroth couldn’t see it from here, but he imagined one of the knees of Zack’s pants was torn (they always seemed to be) and his white shirt was covered in tiny coffee splatters.There was a long scar on the boy’s cheek that Sephiroth had always wanted to ask about.Still, with his warm smile and his stunning memory for names, Zack had a way of wiggling into the customers’ good graces.Sephiroth smiled back.

 

“Hold up, _S_ ,” Genesis interjected before Sephiroth could confirm.“What’s ‘the usual?’”

 

Sephiroth shrugged.“Large coffee, black.”

 

Genesis made a moue of disgust.“No wonder no one wants to kiss you.He’ll have a small vanilla latte,” the redhead said to the barista, “and I’ll have a large nonfat cappuccino, dry.”

 

“Uh?” the barista looked at Sephiroth, clearly confused, but Sephiroth just shrugged and nodded, so he wrote their order on a couple of cups and sent them down the line.“Comes to 8 gil.”

 

“Thanks, Zack,” Sephiroth said, reaching for his wallet.“No, Gen, I got it.What’s the point of bringing you to my favorite coffee shop if you won’t even let me buy?He’s always like this,” he added, rolling his eyes as he handed Zack a ten gil bill.“Keep the change.”

 

They meandered together over to the hand-off area, waiting for their drinks.Sephiroth was a little annoyed Genesis had changed his order — he didn’t like that sweet nonsense in his coffee — but not all that surprised.Genesis had a habit of butting in where his interference wasn’t needed. 

 

It didn’t take Sephiroth a minute to notice Genesis was giving him an appraising look.“What?” he demanded, rather sharply.That look rarely boded well for him.

 

“You could’ve told me there was someone you liked,” Genesis said. 

 

What? “What?Who are you talking about?”Sephiroth was genuinely baffled, but it wasn’t the first time Genesis had picked up on some cue far too subtle for his silver-haired friend.Maybe Sephiroth had accidentally flirted with someone without noticing.Again. 

 

“You.And that barista.Come _on_ , don’t try to deny it.”

 

“Deny what?Zack is just… Zack.”He had always just been Zack.He was a cute kid, sure, and Sephiroth got along with him, but why did Genesis always have to read so much into these things?Just because he didn’t get along well with most people…

 

“He calls you _S_.”The way Genesis stressed the letter it made it sound so significant, but Sephiroth just snorted.

 

“Well, ’Sephiroth’ is a pain to write on a coffee cup, isn’t it?They all call me S.”

 

“Oh?And you know all of the rest of their names, too, do you?” 

 

Sephiroth rolled his eyes again.“Only the ones who work when I’m usually in here.That’s Zack on register, Cissnei over here on bar, and either Reno or Alvis over there with the pastry case — oh, he just ran into the back.”

 

“Reno _or_ Alvis?”

 

Sephiroth shrugged.“They’re identical in both appearance and personality, I can’t tell them apart.All I know is they’re not related and there _are_ two of them — sometimes they both work at the same time.”

 

“You really know them all?” Genesis asked, just as “Large nonfat dry cap and small vanilla latte for S!” was called out on bar.

 

Sephiroth leaned in and grabbed both drinks, handing the large to Genesis as he led his friend around the bar to snag a table.“I like knowing their names, and knowing they recognize me, too.It’s nice to feel like I’m part of the community.”

 

Genesis shuddered.“Didn’t anyone tell you this is the big city?You’re supposed to enjoy your _anonymity_ around here.”

 

“Angeal likes it better my way,” he said mildly.He took a sip of the drink Genesis had ordered for him and winced.“What the hell is this shit?”

 

Genesis rolled his eyes.“I thought you liked sweet things.Besides, it’s like I said: no one wants to make out with bitter-coffee guy.Creamy and sugary is more inviting.”

 

“I don’t remember you ordering extra cream or extra sugar, Mr Nonfat Cappuccino!”

 

Genesis shrugged.“I have to maintain my figure,” he replied nonchalantly, “not all of us are blessed with your metabolism, after all.You might as well take advantage of it while you can.” 

 

Sephiroth frowned but took another careful sip of his latte.It wasn’t terrible, just… not at all what he usually ordered.It was true he liked sweets, but that was dessert.This was coffee.Sephiroth wasn’t so sure the two should be combined. 

 

“So tell me about Zack,” Genesis said. 

 

Sephiroth sighed.“I already told you, didn’t I?He’s a barista.End of story.”

 

“Yeah, you did a pretty good job of throwing me off the track with all those other names.But you weren’t making lovey-dovey faces at the other baristas.So maybe there _is_ a story?”

 

“There isn’t, so can you stop?” Sephiroth said, glaring.Why did Genesis always have to make mountains out of molehills?It was a professional relationship! 

 

“ _Someone’s_ a little defensive…”

 

“Genesis, shut _up_ , ok?!He’s — standing right there,” Sephiroth finished lamely, hiding his face in his hands.Zack was standing just where he had been, across the shop at the register, far too preoccupied with customers to overhear. 

 

“Seriously?!You do like him?!”

 

“Genesis!” Sephiroth hissed, looking back up to resume his glare. 

 

“Sephiroth!”Genesis hissed back, about as sarcastically as he could manage through his obvious excitement.“Oh, this is fabulous.I didn’t think you had it in you!”

 

“Oh, thanks very much!”

 

“No, I didn’t mean — you just — it’s not like your head turns for every passing tail, you know what I mean?I’m happy for you.Really.” 

 

“Happy about _what?_ Genesis, I swear to God —“

 

“Hey, liking someone and not knowing how to proceed is a huge step forward from complete social anxiety-induced celibacy.Baby steps, Sephiroth.Although apparently you’re not that socially anxious anymore, if you’ve made friends with all of these… baristas.”The pause lent a certain implication to the word, as though Genesis was stating his opinion of people who held _that_ kind of job, and Sephiroth sat up a little straighter. 

 

“There’s nothing wrong with being a barista, Genesis,” Sephiroth reprimanded sternly.“Everyone has to start somewhere.We can’t all be born with a silver spoon in our mouths.” 

 

Genesis sniffed, but relaxed soon enough.“I know.Honestly, half the kids I hire straight out of these prestigious ivy-leagues aren’t nearly as savvy as I’d hope, with that kind of education.They could _use_ some service experience.” 

 

It was Sephiroth’s turn to relax.“You run a start-up,” he reminded his friend, “you don’t _have_ to limit your hiring pool to ivy-league grads.”

 

Genesis sighed.“I don’t, really, but it’s when you set your expectations high only to be disappointed that you really get bitter.” 

 

“Well, then,” Sephiroth said cheerfully, “it’s a good thing I expect nothing from Zack, isn’t it?”

 

“Not at _all_.I wish you _would_ expect something from him, and go after it!You have to start somewhere, you know.”

 

“Yeah, but maybe my barista isn’t the best place.I mean, if things don’t go well, I’ll have to find a new coffee shop… learn a bunch of new barista’s names… get them used to calling me S all over again… no, I’m definitely right, I should stay away from Zack.” 

 

“Well, hold up.It’s true if things go badly, it’s a bit of an inconvenience for you, but if things go _well_ , you’ll have free coffee for as long as Zack stays here.That’s something to think about.”

 

“I can’t just waltz in here and demand coffee just because he’s my boyfri— why am I even arguing this?!”

 

“Ok, one, of course you can?? Like, what else is the point of dating a barista? Two, you always argue yourself into life changes, it’s how you function, and I’m just trying to help, and three, there are a lot of other potential conveniences about dating a guy in Zack’s position. You can see him all the time during your work day, whenever you come get your _free_ coffee; you can see him at lunch — although you might have to work with his schedule, things can get hectic in a cafe. You can lavish money on him through the convenient vehicle of tips and he won’t be able to complain? Eh? Eh?”

 

Sephiroth hmm’d over his latte, thinking it over.Gen was right that it would be nice, but it could also be a problem.Sephiroth never did anything by halves: he was an all-in or all-out kind of guy.His last two relationships (his only two relationships) had both fallen apart because Sephiroth was seen by his partner as being _too_ invested in the relationship.In short, he was a clingy boyfriend, so it might not be safe to have such easy access to Zack.Assuming there ever would be a Zack, that is.

 

After a minute, he hedged, “If I _was_ going to… start somewhere.Where exactly would I start?”

 

“As him out, point blank,” Genesis said seriously.“If it was me I’d flirt, of course, but I don’t trust you to do it well enough to succeed, and you clearly already care about this guy, so a direct approach is better.Also Zack is a guy; with men you can just say things like that.”

 

“What, you can’t just ask women out?”

 

“Never to start!You have to have a whole conversation leading up to it, or else they think it’s creepy.And never EVER ask a girl out when she’s at work.Honestly, the ways guys treat girls is pretty creepy, but a man would get confused if you meandered all over a conversation before asking him out.He’d think you weren’t really interested long before you got to the point.The only exception for women is online dating sites, since that’s what both of you are there for anyway.” 

 

Sephiroth set aside that deluge of information to process at his own pace.“ _You_ have an online dating profile.Genesis, the king of hookups and one night stands. _You_ need to go online to find dates?What, have you slept with everyone in Midgar already?”

 

Genesis shrugged.“Online dating apps are expedient.But we’re not talking about me, unless you want to practice online for a while until you get up the nerve to ask Zack.But he’s pretty cute… a guy like that won’t be on the market for long.”

 

Sephiroth blanched, nearly spilling his latte.“Oh God.What if he’s seeing someone?”

 

“Then he’ll turn you down and you’ll be able to stop pining and find someone else.” 

 

“I’ll never be able to show my face here again!”

 

“Sure you will.In fact, one of the other baristas will probably ask you out if Zack says no.” 

 

“But — what if he doesn’t like men?”

 

“He does,” Genesis reassured his friend, laughing. 

 

“How do you know?!”

 

“Well… it’s true he’s giving off some mixed signals.He’s probably bi at best, not a full on flamer like you,” Genesis winked, “but at worst he’s at least comfortable with other people not being straight around him.He won’t be offended and he won’t think you’re weird, I promise.Go _on_.Now, while there’s no line.”

 

“But —“

 

“Go!”

 

And then, somehow, Sephiroth had stumbled his way over to the counter.Zack greeted him with his usual bright smile.“Everything ok with you and your boyfriend over there?” he asked gently.“Looked like things were getting a little intense for a minute there.”

 

“Oh, yeah, we’re fine.Wait — what?Boyfriend—?”

 

Zack raised an eyebrow.“The cute redhead who changed your order?To make you more suitable for kissing, right?”

 

“You think he’s cute?”

 

Zack tilted his head to the side, knitting his eyebrows just a little.“Well, he’s certainly attractive?I mean, I’m not checking out your boyfriend or anything, it’s just… hard not to notice, with some people, you know?” 

 

“Oh, I know.Um, but we’re actually just friends.He’s… available, if you’re interested.”

 

Zack laughed lightly.“What, did he send you over here to proposition me on his behalf?”

 

“Mine, actually,” Sephiroth said, going for nonchalant bravado and aware he was falling somewhat short, “he sent me over here to ask you out.”

 

“Like on a dare?”

 

“What?Why — why would he dare me to ask you out?”

 

Zack shrugged, “I don’t know, why would he be sending you over here otherwise?”Sephiroth couldn’t tell, but thought he sounded a little hurt, and definitely more than a little angry.Sephiroth tried again.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I’m not doing a very good job of this.”

 

“No, you’re not!” Zack agreed, false cheer darkening his tone. 

 

“Look,” Sephiroth began, taking a deep breath and preparing to just spit it out, “I really like you and I’ve been too shy to ask you out, so Genesis was offering some encouragement.That’s the extent of his involvement.And now, just so we can be clear where we stand and finish this stupid conversation, would you like to go out with me sometime?” There! He had stumbled a bit on his way through, but he had asked.Oh, God, he had asked — now it was out there, he could never take it back —

 

Zack was staring at him.“Are you _sure_ this isn’t a dare?”

 

“One hundred percent certain,” Sephiroth answered levelly, heart beating loudly in his ears. 

 

“Ok,” Zack nodded slowly.“I’ll think about it.”

 

“O — ok then.You’ll think about it.Great.I’ll just… get out of your way, then.”

 

Sephiroth returned to Genesis, feeling less sure where he stood than ever.

 

“So?” Genesis asked as Sephiroth sank back into his seat. 

 

“He said he’d think about it.”

 

“Not a perfect success, then, but one of the better outcomes, all told,” Genesis nodded.“What else did he say?You were over there a while.”

 

“He said he thinks you’re cute — or we make a cute couple? — or something.He thought we were dating.”

 

“You did tell him we’re not, right?”

 

Sephiroth glared.“I’m not completely incompetent, thank you,” he said dryly.

 

“Well, I never know with you.What if you’d gotten discouraged or thought he was into me or something?When it comes to work you go after what you want with a single-mindedness that probably accounts for most of your success, but when it comes to your personal life you can be a little… how shall I say? Lackluster, in your pursuits.”

 

“You’re just full of compliments today, aren’t you?”

 

“I’m always like this,” Genesis laughed, “and you love me for it.”

 

Sephiroth grumbled a little but didn’t disagree.Genesis’ particular brand of encouragement could take some getting used to, but he was a good friend, and Sephiroth certainly had few enough of those. 

 

“Well, it seems my work here is done — and this cappuccino is definitely through.I’ve gotta be getting back to work.”

 

Sephiroth sighed.“Yeah, me too.It always seems to come back to that, doesn’t it?” he griped, standing to follow Genesis toward the door.

 

“Gotta pay that rent,” Genesis remarked, tossing his cup in a trashcan.“Speaking of, will I see you at Angeal’s this weekend?”

 

“Of course.What else have I got to do?” Sephiroth held the door for Genesis, who preceded him through and then turned back with a leer. 

 

“You never know, you might get lucky.”

 

“Hah!You’re certainly hopeful, I’ll give you that.”Sephiroth flapped a hand at Genesis to encourage him to move out of the way — blocking doorways was never socially appropriate, and Sephiroth couldn’t very well go on hating people who did it if he became one of them.

 

“Hey, S!” someone called, charging out behind them, “Hold up! Wait!”

 

Sephiroth turned, and the brief light of hope that flared up in him — maybe it was Zack, calling after him, maybe he had made up his mind already, maybe he _was_ interested — died in an instant.It was one of the redhead boys… Sephiroth thought this one was Reno. 

 

“Sorry?” Sephiroth inquired, trying to be polite but mostly just confused.

 

“Glad I caught ya.You forgot your coffee, man,” Reno said, holding out a large cup. 

 

“Oh, I didn’t order —“

 

Reno shook his head.“Look, Zack told me to run this out, so just take it, ok?It’s getting busy again, I gotta go.”He shoved the coffee into Sephiroth’s hands and rushed back inside. 

 

Sephiroth turned to Genesis, completely at a loss.“What just happened?”

 

Genesis smirked and nodded at the cup; at a phone number scrawled across the side.“Unless your name changed to ‘Call me’ in the past ten minutes, I’d say Zack just agreed to go out with you.” 


End file.
